Cutlery device



Nov. 27, 1956 J. W. HUNT ETAL 2,771,674

CUTLEIRY DEVICE Filed June 12, 1953 INVENTORS J OHN w HU/VT n/vo WILL/AHA. HUNT BY s/v/r 4N0 OLSEN ATTORNE/S CUTLERY DEVICE John W. Hunt,Pontiac, Mich, and William A. Hunt, Chicago, EL; said William A. Huntassignor to said John W. Hunt Application June 12, 1953, Serial No.361,366

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-142) The present invention relates to a novel cutlerydevice of the type wherein the blades and other instruments thereon areenclosed in a combination handle and housing and are adapted to be swungout of said housing into their operative positions.

More particularly the present invention relates to a pocket cut-lery.device which includes the conventional blades, screwdriver, awl, canopener, bottle opener, and the like and also includes therein a novelnail clipper.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide asocket cutlery device which includes any desired combination of aconventional blade or blades and tools and a novel clipper device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel pocketcutlery device including a nail clipper which may be swung out of thehousing of said device into its operative position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pocket cutlerydevice including a housing, a. nail clipper mounted in said housing, anoperating arm for said nail clipper, and recesses within said housingtoreceive said nail clipper and operating arm when folded into theirinoperative positions within said housing so as to provide a pocketcutlery device having smooth surfaces with no projections therefrom tocatch on theinside of a pocket or handbag when said device is carriedtherein.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several Views.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of one embodiment of the present inventionshowing the position of the blades and nail clipper within thecombination handle and housing.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. l in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the pocket cutlery device of Fig. 1 with aportion thereof broken away and the nail clipper swung out intooperative position.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the pocket cutlery device of Fig. 1 with thenail clipper in operative position.

Fig. 5 isa'fragmentary view of the nail clipper of Fig. 4 showing amodification of operating arm and pin.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and: arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs; l5. Fig. 1 isa front view of this embodiment of the present invention. The pocketcutlery device 20 comprises the combination handle and housing 21, theblades 22 and 23, and the nail clipper 24. As shown-in 2,771,674Patented Nov. 2?, 1956 ice Fig. l, the blades 22 and 23 are pivoted intocarrying position within housing 21 and the nail clipper 24 is pivotedinto the housing with the jaws enclosed in the recess 25 in the end ofhousing 21.

The housing 21 includes the upper plate 26 and the lower plate 27. Theseplates are assembled in spaced parallel relationship and enclosetherebetween the remaining parts of the pocket cutlery device. I

Fig; 2 is a top view of the pocket cutlery device of Fig. 1 with the topplate 26 (Fig. 1) removed and the blade 23 swung'out into operativeposition. The spring 27 is provided to engage'the notch 28 in the end ofblade 23 to hold the blade in its operative position. The blade 23pivots about a rivet or similar device 29 as does also blade 22. Thespring 27 is mounted at the back of housing 21 by the rivets or similardevices 30 which pass through the upper and lower plates 26 and 27. Asimilar spring (not shown) is provided below spring 27 for blade 22.

The nail clipper 24 is pivotally mounted by rivet or similar device 31which passes only through the lower plate 27 so as not to interfere withthe positioning of blade 23 for storage within housing 21 (Fig. 1).

As shown in Fig. 3 the pivoted end of nail clipper 24 is provided withthe notch 32 and the spring2'7 is provided with the extension 33 toengage the notch 32 when the nail clipper is swung'o'u't toitso'pe'rative position.

Referring now to Fig. 4' the nail clipper 24 comprises an upper flatspring member 34 and a lower fiat spring member 35 joined togethera't'one' end. The free end of the upper member 34h'as the downwardlyprojecting jaw 36. formed thereon. The lower member 35 is bent'downward-1y at 38 and thence upwardly-to form the generallysemicircular depression 39 and terminates in the jaw 40. The pin. 41'passes upwardly through a-hole provided in the depression 39' andthrough a hole provided in the upper member 34. The head 42 is providedon-pin 40 and one end of an. operating arm 43 is pivoted in the slot 44-provided near the upperend of pin 41. The operating arm 43 is providedwith the struck out portion 45 which serves as a fulcrum when the leveris in the operating position shown in Fig. 4. It is believed apparentthat the jaws 37 and 40 of the clipper 24 are forced together when thefree end of arm 43is depressed.

Referring to Fig. 3 it can be seen that the struck out portion 45 of arm43 provides the space 46 in the arm so that the arm may swing over theend of pin 41. Referring again to Fig. 4 the top of pin 41 is chamferedas at 47 so that the operating arm may be swung to the right over theend of pin 41 untilthe struck out portion 45 of arm 43'engages theunchamfered portion 48 of the top of pin 41. Since the pin 41 is free torotate the arm 4-3 may then be turned untilit overlies the upper springmember 34 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The struck out portion 45 engagesthe top of pin 41 and serves tohold the arm 43 in spaced relation fromthe member 34 so that (as shown in Fig. 1) when the clipper 24 and blade23 are pivoted into the housing 21 the blade 23 is received between thearm 43 and the member 34. Also, in Fig. 1 the recess-49 is. provided inthe bottom ofupper plate 26 toreceive arm:43. The recess-49 is shown indotted lines in Fig. 3 and is so formed asto hold thefree end of arm 43slightly out of housing21 asshowlr in Fig. 2 so that the arm 43 mayserve asa gripto swing the nail clipper out of the housing.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the nail clipper per se of Fig. 4showing a modified operating pin and arm which may be used in the nailclipper of the pocket cutlery device of Figs. 14 within the scope of thepresent invention.

In Fig. 5, pin 4-1ais provided with the head 42a on the lower endthereof andthe upper end of the pin 41a is cut away from both sides toprovide the extension 49 thereon. A transverse hole is provided in thisextension 49 to receive the end of an operating arm 43a. The end ofoperating arm 43a has the convoluted finger 50 formed thereon which isreceived in the hole provided in the extension 49 of pin 41a. Arm 43a isthus afiixed to pin 41a so as to enable said arm to swing over the topof said pin.

The struck out portion 45a is provided on arm 43a adjacent the finger50, As shown in Fig. 5, this struck out portion 45a serves as a fulcrumfor operating arm 43a when said arm is in its operative position. It isbelieved apparent that by depressing the free end of arm 43a, when inits operative position as shown in Fig. 5, the jaws of the nail clipperwill be urged together to cut anything placed therebetween.

The operating arm 4311 may be swung to the right ('Fig. 5) over theupper end of pin 41a. The pin 41:! is free to rotate so that the arm 43amay then be turned to overlie flat spring member 34.

A fiat portion 51 is provided on the convoluted finger 50 so that thebiasing action of the clipper aids in holding operating arm 43a in itsinoperative position.

From the above description it can be seen that We have provided a novelpocket cutlery device which includes the usual blades or tools and anovel nail clipper.

We have also provided a novel pocket cutlery device including a nailclipper wherein said nail clipper and the operating arm therefor arereceived within recesses provided in said cutlery device so as toprovide a pocket cutlery device having smooth contours so that noprojections are left to catch on a pocket or handbag when said device iscarried therein.

In the above description where we have made reference to blades mountedin our pocket cutlery device, it is to be understood that we contemplatesubstituting therefor any other desired tool, such for example asscrewdrivers, awls, bottle openers, and the like without departing fromthe spirit, scope and purpose of our invention.

Having thus described our invention we claim:

1. In a pocket cutlery device including a housing and a plurality ofblades pivotally mounted in said housing to swing out of said housinginto operative position, the provision of a nail clipper mounted in saidhousing and comprising upper and lower flat spring members joined at oneend and bent inwardly toward each other at the opposite ends to formcutting jaws, said lower member bent downwardly at a point inwardly fromsaid jaw end and thence upwardly toward said jaw end to form asemicircular depression in said lower member, a pin passing upwardlythrough said depression and through said upper member, a head on saidpin engaging the lower surface of said lower member, an operating armpivotally affixed near its end to a slot near the upper end of said pinabove said upper spring member so as to swing over the top of said pinand lie back parallel to said upper member in an inoperative position,said nail clipper being pivotally mounted within said housing near thecenter thereof by a pin through the joined ends of said flat springmembers so that said clipper may be swung out of said housing into anoperative position, a recess in one end of said aforementioned housingto enclose the jaws of said clipper when the clipper is pivoted intosaid housing, and a recess in said housing to partially receive saidoperating arm of said clipper when said clipper is pivoted into saidhousing and said operating arm is in its inoperative position leaving aportion of said operating arm protruding from said housing to serve as agripping means to pivot said clipper out of said housing toward theoperating position of said clipper.

2. In a pocket cutlery device including a housing, a plurality of bladespivotally mounted in said housing to swing out of said housing intooperative position, and a blade spring for each of said blades mountedwithin said housing to engage said blades and retain them in operativeand inoperative position, the provision of a nail clipper mounted insaid housing and comprising upper and lower fiat spring members joinedat one end and bent inwardly toward each other at the opposite ends toform cutting jaws, said lower member bent downwardly at a point inwardlyfrom said jaw end and thence upwardly toward said jaw end to form asemicircular depression in said lower member, a pin passing upwardlythrough said depression and through said upper member, a head on saidpin engaging the lower surface of said lower member, an operating armpivotally affixed near its end to a slot near the upper end of said pinabove said upper spring member so as to swing over the top of said pinand lie back parallel to said upper member in an inoperative position,said nail clipper being pivotally mounted within said housing near thecenter thereof and adjacent one of said aforementioned blade springs bya pin through the joined ends of said flat spring members so that saidclipper may be swung out of said housing into an operative position, aprojection on said adjacent blade spring to engage a notch provided onthe pivoted end of said nail clipper and retain said nail clipper in itsoperative position, a recess in one end of said aforementioned housingto enclose the jaws of said clipper when the clipper is pivoted intosaid housing, and a recess in said housing to partially receive saidoperating arm of said clipper when said clipper is pivoted into saidhousing and said operating arm is in its inoperative position leaving aportion of said operating arm protruding from said housing to serve as agripping means to pivot said clipper out of said housing toward theoperating position of said clipper.

3. In a pocket cutlery device including a housing and a plurality ofblades pivotally mounted in'said housing to swing out of said housinginto operative position, the provision of a nail clipper mounted in saidhousing and comprising upper and lower fiat spring members joined at oneend and bent inwardly toward each other at the opposite ends to formcutting jaws, said lower member bent downwardly at a point endwardlyfrom said jaw end and thence upwardly toward said jaw end to form asemicircular depression in said lower member, a pin passing upwardlythrough said depression and through said upper member, a head on saidpin engaging the lower surface of said lower member, an operating armhaving a convoluted finger on one end thereof, said convoluted fingerengaging in a hole near the upper end of said pin above said upperspring member so that said arm may swing over the top of said pin andlie back parallel to said upper member in an inoperative position, saidnail clipper being pivotally mounted within said housing near the centerthereof by a pin through the joined ends of said flat spring members sothat said clipper may be swung out of said housing into an operativeposition, a recess in one end of said aforementioned housing to enclosethe jaws of said clipper when the clipper is pivoted into said housing,and a recess in said housing to partially receive said operating arm ofsaid clipper when said clipper is pivoted into said housing and saidoperating arm is in its inoperative position leaving a portion of saidoperating'arm protruding from said housing to serve as a gripping meansto pivot said clipper out of said housing toward the operating positionof said clipper.

4. In a pocket cutlery device including a housing and a plurality ofblades pivotally mounted in said housing to swing out of said housinginto operative position; the provision of; a nail clipper mounted insaid housing and comprising upper and lower flat spring members joinedat one end and bent inwardly toward each other at the opposite ends toform cutting jaws, said lower member being bent downwardly at a pointinwardly from said jaw end and thence upwardly toward said jaw end toform a semicircular depression in said lower member, a pin passingupwardly through said depression and through said upper member, a headon said pin engaging the lower surface of said lower member, anoperating arm pivotally afiixed near its end to said pin above saidupper spring member so as to swing over the top of said pin and lie backparallel to said upper member in an inoperative position, said nailclipper being pivotally mounted within said housing near the centerthereof by a pin through the joined ends of said flat spring members sothat said clipper may be swung out of said housing into an operativeposition, a recess in one end of said aforementioned housing to enclosethe jaws of said clipper when the clipper is pivoted into said housing,and a recess in said housing to partially receive said operating arm ofsaid clipper when said clipper is pivoted into said housing and saidoperating arm is in its operative position leaving a portion of saidoperating arm protruding from said housing to serve as a gripping meansto pivot said clipper out of said housing toward the operating positionof said clipper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,081,896 Eckler Dec. 16, 1913 1,290,380 Sims Jan. 7, 1919 1,424,551Blanchard Aug. 1, 1922 1,836,557 Seymoure Dec. 15, 1931 1,849,592Schnafel Mar. 15, 1932 2,615,242 Franklin Oct. 29, 1952 2,664,624Bassett Jan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,230 Great Britain 1900 191,863Great Britain Jan. 25, 1923 734,011 France July 19, 1932

